Channel 9 faking Adelaide Crows footage

Sports Journalism has always blurred the line between opinion and fact and that's what makes the rounds reporters entertaining.

People like Mark Ricciuto and Kane Cornes have a really obvious bias, and their coverage is generally layered with unbinding support for their teams and clubs.

This however is general knowledge and when you see Cornes on the 'Tiser, it is assumed its more entertainment than fact (unless they're reporting dry news).

Coverage like this does not attack or bully anything or anyone. It's pure banter at the best of times which really adds to the sports coverage.

Neither will deliberately fake footage, or intentionally build a hurtful fake narrative to sell a story, and neither would deliberately mess with people's careers.

Channel 9 Adelaide Sports Reporter Vicki Schwarz did this today on Twitter - either deliberately or accidently.

Footage taken of Adelaide Football CEO Andrew Fagan and Midfield Coach Michael Godden as they left the club was edited with the caption claiming they snubbed each other over disagreements regarding Hart's and Godden's contract termination.

The footage was cut so it showed each of the two guys ignoring each other as they left the club, inadvertently claiming there was/is tension at the club.

Why? There is no logically reason for this unless you are building a narrative for conflict, perpetuating a myth of a toxic culture.

There is no logic for doing this unless you're trying to hurt the Adelaide Football Club.

Schwarz was called out for uploading the faked footage almost immediately but left it on Twitter for nearly four-hours - before silently removing it.

Neither Channel 9 nor Schawarz have come out and admitted to the upload and fake-news caption - or have issued a retraction.

Support your club, but as a journalist have a standard of ethical practice. Faking footage and captioning it to sell a fake narrative is never okay.

This could of been an accident by Schwarz and Channel 9, but nevertheless, this is exactly how you loss the trust of your audience.